Kathleen C. Gleason

Kathleen “Kathy” Jo (Crownhart) Gleason passed away on Dec 4 2021 at age 74 in Wareham after complications from a courageous 10 year fight with lung cancer. Kathy was the widow of the late Dr. Thomas “Tom” Louis Gleason, and they shared an exceptional 48 year marriage until his death in February 2020. Kathy was the best mother you could possibly ask for to the couple’s three children: Lori Caddoo and her husband Bill of Wayland, Ryan Gleason and his wife Juliet of Cheshire; CT; and Patrick Gleason of Wareham. Kathy was pre-deceased by her mother, Pauline Edith (Mears) Crownhart, and her father, Floyd Crownhart, of Kansas City, Missouri. She was the youngest child to her older sister Patricia (Crownhart) Hanson and her husband Steven of Manhattan, KS, and her older brother Floyd Crownhart Jr. and his wife Mary of Gladstone, MO. Kathy was also a much-loved grandmother to her 5 grandchildren. Kathy fostered a love of international travel at an early age, thanks to her father’s occupation as a mechanic for TransWorld Airlines (TWA). As a result, Kathy could fly free standby on any TWA flight with space available. Spain, France, & Switzerland were just some of her memorable destinations. This international background influenced Kathy’s decision to receive her Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish from the University of Kansas. Upon graduation, Kathy enrolled at UCONN, where she would receive a Master’s Degree in Special Education. Kathy’s teaching career spanned over 20 years, pausing while she started a family. In the mid 90s, she returned to the classroom, this time in Wareham as a high school Spanish teacher. She was regularly a favorite among students for her genuine caring, positive attitude, and desire to see them succeed, both inside and out of the classroom. She often attended games, plays, and other events her students participated in, and enjoyed seeing former students around town after her retirement in the mid 2000s. In addition to teaching, Kathy passionately supported her local community by volunteering with a myriad of different organizations over the years, including: the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League; offering mentorship in the Rite of Christian Initiation For Adults (RCIA) program at St. Patrick’s Church; assisting with the St. Patrick’s chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society; a former president of the Friends of the Wareham Free Library; and, most recently, a former president of the Wareham Cultural Council. Kathy also found plenty of activities to fill her leisure time. She was an avid fan of the Kansas Jayhawks college basketball team, the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, and often attended Red Sox games when the Kansas City Royals made a stop at Fenway Park. She also enjoyed watching “Dancing With The Stars”, kept an extensive collection of flamingo-themed memorabilia, participated in a monthly book club, enjoyed regular dinners with friends, lunches and day trips with “the girls”, and supported her five grandchildren however and whenever she could. Kathy will always be remembered with love by anyone who knew her. Kathy’s family would also like to extend its sincere appreciation to the countless doctors, nurses, technicians, support staff, private aides, relatives, neighbors, and friends involved with her care during every stage of her illness. Thank you for your expertise, assistance, compassion, and support! Relatives and friends are invited to visit on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at Chapman Funerals and Cremations, 2599 Cranberry Hwy. (Rt. 28), Wareham from 4 – 7 PM. Her funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, December 9, 2021 at St. Patrick’s Church, 82 High St., Wareham at 10 AM. Interment will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dr. Thomas Gleason Memorial Scholarship Fund, 6 Lookout Lane, Wareham MA 02571, or to Southcoast Health on-line at https://www.southcoast.org/philanthropy/tribute-gifts/ and selecting either option relating to cancer care from the dropdown menu at the bottom of the page.